International Criminal Court : In News
U.S. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel, a close U.S. ally.
- It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
- It was established in 2002 by an international agreement, the Rome Statute, on 17 July 1998.
- The Rome Statute sets out the Court’s jurisdiction, structures, and functions.
- The Statute entered into force on 1 July 2002.
- Mandate: ICC investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
- As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national Courts.
- Members: There are 125 member countries, but dozens of governments are not ICC parties, including China, India, Israel, Russia and the United States.
- Funding: The Court is funded by contributions from the States Parties and by voluntary contributions from Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.
- Judges: The court has 18 judges, each from a different member country, elected to non-renewable 9-year terms.
- The Presidency: Consists of three judges (the President and two Vice-Presidents) elected from among the judges. It represents the Court to the outside world and helps with the organization of the work of the judges.
- Judicial Divisions: 18 judges in 3 divisions, the Pre-Trial Division, the Trial Division, and the Appeals Division.
- Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): It is responsible for receiving referrals and any substantiated information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.
- Registry: The core function of the Registry is to provide administrative and operational support to the Chambers and the Office of the Prosecutor.
- Unlike the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which hears disputes between states, the ICC handles prosecutions of individuals.
- The ICC is only competent to hear a case if:
- the country where the offence was committed is a party to the Rome Statute; or
- The perpetrator’s country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute.
- The ICC may exercise its jurisdiction if the national court is unable or unwilling to do so.
- The ICC only has jurisdiction over offences committed after the Statute’s entry into force on 1 July 2002.
